Customized digital storage, transmission, and presentation of digital audio files is fast becoming a multi-billion dollar business. The advent of compressed audio formats such as MP3 and associated players, along with vast personal and public audio repositories and media distribution systems, means that anyone can collect, transfer, and combine audio files into a “personal radio station”. An automated approach can be used to “cross-fade” audio files (i.e., start a new audio file as another is fading out). However, a disadvantage of such systems is that usually one audio file must end fully before the next one begins. Since many audio files have a long fade-out-period, this creates an effective gap between files. To avoid this disadvantage, a fully manual approach is required, where a user manually manipulates every aspect of cross-fading the audio files. The fully manual approach is time consuming and inefficient.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved system and method for automatically cross-fading digital audio files. The improved automated cross-fader should automatically analyze the characteristics of digital audio files and cross-fade them appropriately. The present invention addresses such a need.